Page 13 of The Boss

“Who the hell are you?” I was now at the point of becoming livid, my skin starting to crawl. I’d definitely seen him before. Where?

Oh, my God. The man at the club.

I had a feeling he gathered I’d just figured out that he wasn’t a very nice man. I started to back away, my clumsy self bumping into another table and almost knocking over a lamp. After scrambling to rescue it, I took a deep breath. I hated looking like an idiot in front of anyone.

Especially dangerous, arrogant men.

Still, I was undaunted. He wasn’t going to barge into my parents’ villa and give everyone the silent treatment. A weapon. I needed a weapon. Shit. What could I use? No letter opener was available. A fireplace poker. Aha! I grabbed it with gusto, embersfrom the end flying in front of me. I was making a complete fool of myself.

“Get out. Now.” I even pointed toward the door, thrusting the poker in his direction.

Goddamn it if he didn’t look thoroughly amused.

I thrust the makeshift weapon forward again and he just offered another look of amusement.

Finally, he stood, adjusting his jacket. Why did I have a terrible feeling he wasn’t going anywhere? The powerful and dangerous man took a couple of long strides toward me and if I backed up any faster, I was going to trip on my own feet.

A strange sense of knowing him washed over me at the same time a bolt of electricity defiled my system. Then the ‘oh, my God’ moment hit me like a sledgehammer. Holy crap. He’d changed, but there was no denying who he was. A man I’d adored. He’d bulked out, the years adding to his seductive yet dangerous persona.

No. This wasn’t a pleasurable meeting.

“You’re Dimitrios Nomikos, my uncle’s best friend.”

Oh, God. Oh. My. God. This couldn’t be real.

I couldn’t tell if he was stunned from my recognition of him, his expression remaining bland. But seconds later, he smiled. “The little girl who chased me around the villa, laughing every time I picked her up and swung her around in my arms. The same little girl who tried to play hide and seek with me when I was conducting business. Sweet. Innocent. Willow.”

The way he said my name sent shivers down my spine. I darted another look toward the door and instantly heard him making a tsking sound.

“I wouldn’t try that if I were you, my little dove. Crossing me at this point will not be in your best interest.”

What had happened to the man I’d had a tiny crush on? My God. What had I been, eleven or twelve? I’d thought him the most handsome man in the world. Next to my father of course. Perhaps Dimitrios was even better looking now that he’d aged. The hint of gray at both temples only added to his distinguished look, but it was the cold hardness of his eyes that captured the very innocence he’d just mentioned.

“What are you doing here? Where are my parents?”

“I’m afraid I couldn’t help them, but you can provide assistance.” His voice was husky, carrying a deep rasp that kept the tingles shifting through every joint and muscle. His accent was light but defined enough that it only added to his provocative nature.

“How?” My anxiety was only increasing. There was something terribly wrong. I could sense it as well as continued danger. My thoughts about the trips where I’d met him, spent days with him and his family were more troubling than almost anything.

My uncle spoke of him as if he was a god, not a monster. But then men could easily hide who they really were behind designer suits and sexy haircuts.

“By telling me where your brother Shane is.” He took a single step closer and instead of the strange metallic scent I’d caught the moment I’d walked in, my senses were now filled with hints of timber and citrus, a dash of spice, and a hell of a lot of testosterone.

My body responded instantly, the betrayer that she was. My nipples were rock hard and I was certain the tips were poking through my thin tee shirt. Even worse, my pussy was throbbing, the scent of my desire wafting in front of me.

Could he tell I was aroused by his presence?

Could he sense I was disturbed and even terrified?

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen my brother since we got here.”

He cocked that sexy head of his, exposing more of his strong jawline and the thick cords on one side of his neck. “You’re lying.”

“Why would I lie to you?”

His chuckle irritated me. Why was he making fun of me? And what the hell did he want with my brother? My gut told me it was nothing good.

“Because you want to protect him. Sadly, you can’t do that, Willow. If you do, you’d be violating certain rules that were already established long before you and your family made a trip to my province.”

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